FINCHforum

Having a terrible week bird-wise. I've lost THREE birds in one week!!

Last Monday, one of my DFyb male gouldians, Rio, died in a night fright. What kills me is that the room they are in has FOUR nightlights. My husband was up wandering around at 4am raiding the kitchen and sends me a text at 7am that morning (I got it when I woke for work) to tell me there was a terrible ruckus in aviary 2 the night before and I "might want to check on the birds". My first thought is how does he know exactly which aviary (I have 2) unless he was there and if he was, turn on the lights for them!!, wake me up, do SOMETHING! Sure enough I go check and my gouldian is dead on the aviary floor. I was ready to post my hubby for sale in the marketplace on that particular day. I have told him about night frights many times (just in passing conversation). I can't believe he witnessed it and did nothing.

That Wednesday, one of my juvenile yellows, Mee-Meep, became quite ill and ended up passing away later that night, despite immediately moving her to a hospital cage with heat lamp and all. This was very sad for me too as she was one of the only babies from Lemondrop, my other DFyb that had died earlier this year.

Now suddenly this past Monday, I come home for lunch and find my blue hen, Misty, acting oddly. She was only slightly puffed but was acting VERY still, keeping both eyes closed, and seemed to be moving very slowly. I set up a heat lamp for her. She sat under it a minute or two and then moved away. I had to go back to work but when I came home, she was about the same. She had not been acting eggbound but I administered calcium drops anyway, just in case. She still was just being very still, eyes closed the whole time, she was able to perch and all. She died that evening. Prior to this, she had NO symptoms whatsoever.

When it rains, it pours.... so sad

Very sorry to hear - my condolences. Bob

I'm so sorry - that was a bad week... I wonder if the night fright caused all three deaths. Could be the last two were stressed or injured and just couldn't recover?

Hoping for better days!

I'm so sorry for you! And the name of your little Bird! Mee-Meep! I had a little Meep-Meep (Zebbie) I had to have put down a few months ago as he was continuously sick! I also lost a little Star finch, Fruit recently, tho he was seven!

These little guys really get into your heart! Sometimes they may pass away and we may not know why! I lost a baby Zebbie at six months, and I still don't know why he passed away.

I wish you the best - hugs for you and your birds!

Zebrafincher

Oh, how sad! What a terrible week. I can relate to your frustration about not being alerted at the time your husband noticed the problem. Sometimes, non-bird people don't think the way we do about our babies. My prayers for all three and you too.

I am so sorry about the whole situation. Bless You.

So sorry for your losses, hopefully nothing is going through the aviary. Have you seen any warning signs of trouble?
Hoping that's the end of it

That's awful news, I'm hoping that everyone else remains healthy.

So very sorry to hear about your birds.

So sorry for your troubles. I have had weeks like that. Seems like everything will go along just fine, and then when something goes wrong, it just starts the problems. It is so frustrating.

Lisa, I am so very sorry. My heart breaks for you.
I had 2 very bad night frights in one week. Thankfully all ok, but I don't see how.
Have you seen the topic about "Night Frights - Night Lights"? There is some good info there. I put "rope lights" on top of my aviaries, on a timer, and have had no more terrifying night frights.

Oh how sad!! I am sorry for your losses. Hopefully this is the end of it all.

Such sad news... my condolences.

Lisa
I am so very sorry, my friend...I know how much you love your birds. I'm sending you lots of hugs from me and Lil Joe.

Thanks everyone... things seem to be settling down again now (fingers crossed it stays this way!)

hopefully nothing is going through the aviary. Have you seen any warning signs of trouble?

The only thing to note is one of my long time adult birds, Heaven, (bred in my home last year) suddenly had one eye closed last week and has been less active, a little puffy. I isolated him to a hospital cage and treated his eye, offered him heat, etc. After 2 days, his eye was fine and he was no longer puffy and acting normal again. I moved him back into the aviary on the 3rd day and within half hour, his eye was closed again! Caught him again and treated his eye and it's been normal ever since. He does, however, sit close to the lights and hasn't really been singing much (he's usually a big singer). Then I noticed one of my other normals, Hurricane, (also bred in my home last year) started puffing up a little. Neither one is at the stage where they are easy to catch by any means so what I did is set up two heat lamp stations within the aviary; one at each end. Most of the other birds in this aviary are molting juveniles (all bred at my home). I've noticed that sometimes when the juveniles start really accelerated molting, they get a little puffy and sickly acting for a few days while the colors start rushing in and then they are fine. This is what was happening at the same time so it was hard to judge who may really be ill with something and who is just going through a taxing molt. Here we are a week later and everyone is fine with the exception of Heaven, who's not quite acting himself. I did some research on the net and found what is called a "one eyed cold" that is associated with ornithosis. The symptoms did seem to fit for Heaven AND the juvenile (Mee-Meep) that just recently passed (who was in the same aviary). I ordered some Doxycycline from Laraine which should be arriving tomorrow. It said it will not hurt a flock to be treated for 3 days to determine if this is a problem in the aviary so I thought I'll try it and see if I see any improvement with him. I've been very torn about whether to treat everyone or just pull Heaven and maybe even Hurricane (who now seems better and is singing up a storm again). But I keep thinking if one bird does have something, they've all been exposed to it.

I've just been keeping an eye on things for any changes. One thing I did notice about Mee-Meep right before she passed (she fluffed up about a day or so before she passed), was that she had yellowish droppings with clear urine around it (no seeds in it).

The blue hen, Misty, that died very unexpectedly and with such strange symptoms (the slow motion, sitting extremely still for hours with eyes closed) is in the same room (my family room) but not in the aviary. In fact, she is clear across the room. She had been sitting on eggs recently so it is possible she had symptoms that I never saw due to her always being in the nest (she was the primary sitter - it wasn't until her mate started staying in the nest for extended periods with her outside the nest that day that I noticed anything was wrong with her. Normally she'd pop out for a few minutes, eat, bathe, drink, go back in. On that particular day, she stayed out while he sat).

Sunbay, I did see that thread and those chain lights are a great idea! I do have 4 night lights in that room already, illuminating from each corner. Usually the birds are fine and can see well enough to get around even in the dark. If I pass through the room in the dark, as long as I speak to them while in the room, they know it's just me and are fine. I don't want to place any blame on my hubby but have a sneaking suspicion he may have made too much noise right outside the room and freaked them out, starting the night fright. You have to pass by the family room to get the kitchen. If he made a racket at 4am while walking by, I can see that spooking them. I just wish he had come woken me up or something ... I would have jumped right out of bed and went to them to turn on the lights and help them get reoriented and calmed down